


Bitten

by Sentry97



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, College, Drama, F/M, Funny, Gen, Novel, POV First Person, Supernatural - Freeform, Suspense, Werewolf, bitten, original - Freeform, teen, wolf - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-02 19:19:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8680267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sentry97/pseuds/Sentry97
Summary: Stephen Andrews, son of a successful businessman, never had a care in the world. But his life is turned upside by a savage attack. Now he must come to terms with startling changes and learn to survive while keeping the facade of normality.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first real work. Updates every Wednesday, hope you enjoy.

It all happened so fast that my brain didn't even have the chance to process it all, one minute I'm stumbling down the street to my dorm from a frat party, the next I'm being rushed to the E.R. suffering from extreme blood loss, a gaping wound on my shoulder and deep lacerations all along my arms and back. At least that's what I remember a nurse shouting as I flickered in and out of consciousness.

I couldn't focus; there was an intense burning sensation emanating from my shoulder that made sure of that. It was like magma had been poured on my shoulder and was slowly burning its way through my body...but dog bites weren't supposed to hurt this much, were they?

                                                                                                                               ***

"...credibly deep bite marks on his left shoulder...ratches along his back and arms..."

"...a miracle he survived...2 inches to the right and his carotid artery would've been severed..."

"...quite lucky she was...rescue him and call paramed..."

"...rate...he is healing...impossible...complete recovery...small amount of scarring..." I woke up with a splitting headache, not fully aware of my surroundings, but incredibly aware of the fact that there was something in my throat...I didn't like it.

The doctor(I assumed) upon realising I was awake, came up to me and shined a light in my eyes, it was uncomfortably bright, but I didn't have the strength to flinch away, then he asked me to follow his finger as he moved it left then right, up then down and when I did, to squeeze his hand if I could feel it. Then, after checking that my airways were clear and there was nothing affecting my lung function, he took the annoying tubes out of my throat.

Finally a glass was gently pressed to my lips and I was allowed to sip the water offered to me, and I knew then that I'd never appreciated water as much as I had at that moment, though when I opened my mouth to speak, the doctor interrupted me by saying,

"Try not to speak just yet Mr. Andrews, because your throat could be swollen, just sip the water for now" I acquiesced with a weak nod and finished half the glass. The doctor then checked my throat for aforementioned swelling, before assuring that everything was in order.

"Mr. Andrews my name is Dr. Johnson, do you know where you are?" I looked at the doctor for the first time, he was a tall individual, mid 40s maybe, though the grey hair on his head made him seem older, he was wearing a reassuring smile on his face as he stood beside my bed in blue scrubs and a lab coat.

I snorted a little inside, he pulled off the 'Typical Doctor' look perfectly. Outwardly though, I nodded, "A hospital" my voice was quiet and slightly strained, it made me wonder how long I was 'asleep'.

He nodded at me and gave a clipboard( that I hadn't noticed he was holding) a once over, "That's right, and do you know why you're here?" at this I stiffened slightly, the action causing my left shoulder to ache, then I remembered, the yellow eyes, the teeth...the blood.

"A-a dog...it attacked me"

Doctor Johnson nodded again, "It bit into your left shoulder, ripping your subclavian artery, you're very lucky someone got to you in time, and managed to scare it off, or you might not have been laying here right now. You'll be staying here for a couple weeks at least, though it's not as long as you would stay normally."

At that I looked at him quizzically, "What do you mean by that doc?"

"Well normally a patient with an injury like yours would stay here in the hospital for upwards of 2 months for recovery and rehabilitation, but the rate with which you're healing is phenomenal, almost impossible, and so you'll be out of here in a month at most. For now you'll just need to rest and stay hydrated, also your head might feel a little fuzzy, and your limbs heavy, but that is only the anesthesia wearing off, nothing to worry about. Now I have another patient to look after so I will leave you here with your father, and I will have a nurse check on you in about an hour or so, press that button if you require assistance." And with that he left, the nurse(whom I hadn't noticed) leaving with him after refilling the glass on the bedside table.

As they left I turned to my dad, who was observing me from his place beside the door. At 6'2", Thomas Andrews wasn't very imposing, but he was a man whose presence and aura made it so that he was impossible to ignore. He had shoulder length Black hair with flecks of grey, slicked back in a style most businessmen seemed to use, bright blue eyes, highcheek bones, a firm jaw and a chiselled chin. All in all my dad was a man that made women of all ages turn their heads. He was dressed in a simple black suit, with a white shirt and red tie combo, his jacket though, was hung over the chair beside him, he was never fond of jackets.

Finally, after a few seconds just observing me, he walked over to my bed and placed a large hand on my shoulder, the good one of course, "How are you my son?" his voice, a soft baritone washed over me and I wondered just how long it'd been since we last spoke.

"I've been better" I mumbled, quirking my lip into a crooked smile as he laughed slightly,

"I'm sure you have, your mother is flying in tomorrow to see you, she would've been here sooner but...you know" I nod and pat his arm slightly

"It's fine dad, at least she'll be here, how long was I out?"

"Two days, the attack happened Friday evening, it's Monday"

"Two days?" I whispered in shock, two whole days, I'd been asleep for two whole days. I bit my lip slightly, "did they catch it at least?"

My dad shook his head and frowned "You'd think that after two days of searching there'd be a lead of some kind," shaking his head again he leaned against my bed, "There's speculation that it wasn't even a dog, there aren't many breeds of dogs that can leave a wound that size,"

At that I frowned slightly, "No it was definitely a dog, a really, really big dog, it was at least chest height, and it was really heavy,"

My dad looked at me for a bit before sitting beside me on the bed and placing his hand on my shoulder again,

"Tell me what happened".


	2. Chapter 2

_"Damn, look at the time!" I said as I checked my watch while I walked down the sidewalk to the male dorms._ _I could still hear the music and it was almost 2 blocks away,_  the _party was still in full swing even though it was well after 12, but I couldn't fault them, Central Washington University had won the state soccer championship and were going to nationals for the first time in 4 years. I shook my head at that, doing my best not to stumble as the world swung just a tiny bit. Jesse was gonna kill me for leaving without him, but at that moment I couldn't care less._

_As the dorm building came into view I heard a bush or something rustling behind me, but I ignored it. 'Probably the wind' I thought as I kept my slow pace, doing my best not to keel over,_

_"Ugh I drank way too much," I groaned, feeling a headache coming on, "Last time I'm letting them talk me into beer pong-wah!" I shouted, as I fell forward, barely throwing my hands infront of me in time to protect my face from the cold concrete. I turned to see what I'd tripped over as I slowly pulled myself to my feet, "Stupid rock!"_

_Continuing my walk, I whistled a song I'd heard at the party 'Tongue Tied', but then I heard growling, and with wide eyes I slowly turned around and was treated with the sight of the biggest dog I had ever seen, it had to be at least chest height with gleaming yellow eyes and fur so dark, it blended seamlessly with the shadows. It tilted its head to the side and examined me, still growling, I tried backing away slowly, whispering all the stupid things I'd heard on tv and praying they'd work._

_"Easy doggy, just stay right there, you don't wanna eat me, I'm skinny, no meat, just lots of bones..." I trailed off slightly and had to suppress the urge to smack myself in the face, "oh yeah...dogs like bones...but you wouldn't like me, I taste really, really bad."_

_My words didn't seem to be helping and I was just making myself look like an idiot, so I decided to run, the dorm was less than 20 feet away, hopefully I could reach it before the dog finished deciding whether it wanted to attack me or not. I turned and started sprinting to the dorm, stumbling slightly and cursing the alcohol in my system._

_"I'm never drinking again!" I swore to myself as I stumbled for the fifth time. Unfortunately for me, it seemed the dog had made its choice, I could hear the heavy footfalls behind me, the scratch of its claws on the sidewalk. I was so close to the dorm, fifteen feet, ten feet. I silently prayed it wouldn't reach me before I reached my destination and hoped God listened to selective believers._

_Then suddenly I couldn't hear the dog anymore, confused, I turned to look at it only for my eyes to widen in fear, it had leaped at me and I knew then that I couldn't move away in time. The force of its jump, combined with its weight took us to the ground, it was so heavy._

_The way I fell protected my neck but that didn't stop the dog from biting into my shoulder as its claws raked across my back. And I couldn't help it, I screamed, the pain was just too much, I couldn't think, I couldn't move, it hurt so much, I didn't wanna die...I...I passed out._

***

I opened my eyes, not realising when I had closed them and looked at my dad. He looked stricken, his grip on my hand almost painful, as if he was reassuring himself that I was really there, really alive. I understood perfectly.

He caught a hold of himself and let go of my hand, "The police will be here tomorrow to question you about what happened, are you up for it?"

I nodded at that and smiled weakly, "I'll manage, I don't want someone else getting attacked by that thing," he gave me a proud smile and a slightly awkward side hug.

"I'm glad you're alright son," leaning into the hug slightly I nodded again, and he pulled back.

"I know dad, when do you have to go into work?"

He looked at his watch and snorted, "An hour ago, but the nurse said you were waking up gradually, so I decided to stay so I could be here when you finally woke up."

I smiled gratefully, "I really appreciate it dad, but you should go now or Jennifer will nag your ear off."

He laughed, "I suppose you're right," as he headed to the chair, picking up his jacket before and throwing it casually over his shoulder while saying, "Jesse is supposed to stop by later today and I'll come visit you again when I get off work...oh and your phone is on the table there, so you don't get too bored."

I shook my head at him, "You don't have to dad it's fine, I'll probably be sleeping for most of the day anyway."

Snorting again he turned and headed for the door, "I wish I could do that," he said and then stopped and stared at me for several seconds. "I love you son," he said softly and then left, not waiting to hear me mumble, "Love you too dad."

***

I don't know when I'd fallen asleep, but I was woken up by the sound of someone moving around the room, and when I opened my eyes I was greeted by the sight of the nurse from earlier. She was replacing the bag on the IV drip so she hadn't noticed me just yet and that gave me the time to observe her. She was short, 5'4" probably, her hair was brunette and was pulled into a high bun but her back was turned to me, so I couldn't see her face.

She then turned to do something else, and upon realising I was awake, flashed me a bright smile, "Oh hello Mr. Andrews," she greeted me cheerily, "did you have a good rest?" I nodded and shifted to a more comfortable position, wincing slightly as I moved my shoulder,

"Yes I did, thank you for asking." Looking at her face I noticed how pretty she was, with eyes that were a light shade of brown, almond maybe, a small nose and full pink lips, she was pleasing to look at. According to her name tag, her name was Sarah Williams.

Sarah smiled again and nodded before picking up a silver tray with some stuff in it. "Well I'm finished with my rounds here so I will be leaving now, remember to drink lots of water and to press that button," she said as she pointed at a small remote beside my bed, "if you need assistance. Do you need anything before I leave?"

I smiled at her, "Yes actually, do you happen to have any books I can read?"

She looked at me curiously and raised a hand to her lips in what I assumed was a thinking pose as she said, "I'm not sure, I'll see what I can find, any preferences?"

"No, not really, anything you can bring me would be appreciated, I just want something to kill time."

She grinned at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"I know exactly what you mean, I'll bring them to you as soon as I'm done with my rounds okay?"

"Okay" I replied as she nodded and turned to leave, "Thanks a lot Sarah." She gave me a saucy wink over her shoulder with an enthusiastic call of 'Any time!'  she walked through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter comes out Wednesday December 7th, 2016. ^-^ Please comment and tell me your thoughts!


	3. Chapter 3

While I was alone waiting for Sarah to come back, I looked around the room I'd be living in for the next few weeks. The walls were a pale shade of green that looked a lot like regurgitated guacamole, it was pretty ugly but better than white I supposed. The only furniture in the room, besides the bed, was 2 chairs near the door and a bedside table. A window on my left flooded the room with natural light.

It was about ten minutes later when I heard a knock on the door. Looking up, I saw Sarah standing there, a stack of books in her hands and a smile on her face. "I got those books you asked for," she said, walking into the room.

I nodded, grateful for something to alleviate the boredom. "Thanks a lot Sarah, you're a life saver. What kinds did you get?"

Sarah blushed and ducked her head, her words coming out muffled, "Mostly children's books...but I did find some interesting ones in the Doctor's Lounge!" and with those words she was back to her usual high spirited self.

I couldn't help but smile, her enthusiasm was infectious. "Let's see them then," I said, and she happily placed them on the bed beside me. Looking through the books, I laughed inwardly at the choices 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'The Three Pigs', 'Cinderella', 'The Three Musketeers'. My eyes widened when I saw the title of the fifth book 'Werewolves: Children of the Moon' and for a moment my thoughts flashed to the dog that attacked me, I shivered.

Sarah came and placed her hand on my forearm. "Mr. Andrews, are you alright?" she asked.

I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine, just remembered something," I told her, ignoring her look of disbelief, "And please, call me Stephen,"

That got her to smile but then her watch alarm went off making her flinch at the sudden noise. Sarah looked at it and frowned. "Well I'm almost off my shift, and I have a few errands to run before I get home," she said and I could feel the apology in her tone.

"That's alright, thanks again for the books,"

She blushed and looked down a bit as she said, "I'll try to bring better ones next time, count on it." With that she left.

I turned back to the books she brought me and I laughed at the variety. They went from interesting fantasy books like 'Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone' to cheesy romance novels like 'Heroes Are My Weakness'. Looking at the options I had, I separated them into three piles, 'Definitely gonna read', 'Maybe I'll read if I'm bored enough' and 'Definitely won't read'. Understandably, all the romance novels went into the last pile.

After I set the piles aside, I picked up the book at the very top of 'Definitely gonna read' and started reading. The name was 'Cinderella'.

***

The rest of the week passed by in a blur. Jesse had come to visit like he'd promised and proceeded to chew me out for about 10 minutes about leaving before him and then getting hurt because of it. I recounted the attack for him too and his reaction was similar to my dad, though, less touchy.

The police had come early the following morning to talk to me and they had me answer a few questions. They didn't seem to believe me like my dad and Jesse did when I gave them my description of the dog. One of the officers didn't even try to hide it, snorting when I described the height and almost immediately writing it off witnessed under the influence and thus not completely reliable. Promising to get back to me if they had any further questions or leads on my attacker, they left.

***

The only other thing to note about that week was that when my mother showed up...She didn't show up alone.

At first she stopped at the door, as if she was afraid to come in. She turned to have a quick whispered conversation with someone behind her. _They_ placed a hand on her shoulder and that seemed to give her the courage to walk into the room, though _they_ didn't come in with her.

"Hey, Steph," She'd said as she came up to my bed. It took a lot of self-control not to flinch away when she reached out to touch my hand.

"Hey...mum." Her eyes watered slightly and I realised she'd heard my hesitation. Part of me didn't feel sorry.

"Your dad told me about what happened. How are you?"

"I'm as good as I can be, I guess, how 'bout you?" I looked up at her. My mom was pretty. Her auburn hair fell almost to the middle of her back, her large eyes were 'a warm brown that captures your attention...and holds it' my dad would say, every time he reminisced about her. She had soft cheekbones, a petite nose and full lips. All features one would expect from a retired model.

She smiled weakly at me. "I've been...I've been well. Henry and I just got back from our trip to Africa and-" she stopped when I flinched and I honestly could help it. Henry Richardson, the 'person' standing outside the door, waiting for her to finish her talk with me, was my mom's boyfriend and the reason she left my dad and me when I was only 6 years old.

I tried to smile but all I could manage was a grimace. Sighing I ducked my head and said, "Sorry mum, I really am, but let's not talk about him right now yeah?"

She frowned a bit but nodded nonetheless. "So when do you get out?" she asked, pulling up a chair to sit.

I shrugged and shifted slightly. The stitches on my back were really itchy. "The doc said that it depends on whether I keep healing at this rate or not. But I should be out in a few weeks."

She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Healing at what rate?"

"Well, he said that I was healing at a phenomenal rate, and that usually someone who came in with injuries like these" I gestured to my left shoulder, "would be stuck in the hospital for at least 3 months. They also wouldn't be able to lay on their back for a while without major discomfort."

My mum's eyebrows disappeared behind her bangs. "But how is that possible?"

I shrugged again and said, "Beats me, I'm just glad that I don't have to suffer through 3 months of boredom."

She opened her mouth to say something else, but a cough from outside the door made her pause and look at me apologetically. "I'm sorry Steph, I have a few errands to run before we fly back to Jersey," she said as she stood up and hugged me. I could do nothing but nod numbly as she apologized again, promised to visit before I was discharged and left.

The scent of lilacs and strawberries lingered in the room after she left though it was overpowered by the scent of aftershave and wood that drifted in from the door. A sharp pain in my hand caused me look down at the fist I didn't remember making. Relaxing my fingers, I winced as I saw small cuts where my nails dug into my palm. Licking the small beads of blood that leaked out of the wounds, I tried my best not to think about my mother.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I complete missed my elongated fingernails slowly shift back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter comes out on Wednesday December 14th, 2016. ^-^ Please comment and tell me your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up with a shout as an extremely loud noise swirled around me. I couldn't pick out where it was coming from, or what exactly the noise was, but it was deafening. Remembering what Sarah and the doctor had said, I reached for the remote, but couldn't find it. The pain grew and my search became more frantic until my fingers brushed against it. The relief I felt was short lived though, because I lost it again, my jerky movements and the mind numbing pain in my skull making it impossible to tell where I'd felt it. Teeth clenched, I pushed up onto my elbows, snatched it from its hanging position and assaulted the button. Energy spent, I fell back to the bed with a groan. My head felt like it was being crushed as all the noise swirled together into a whirlpool from hell, I couldn't even hear myself think. I hardly registered when Sarah came to check on me, or when she ran out of the room to get the doctor. All I could focus on was the pain.

***

The first thing I realized when I opened my eyes was that the noise wasn't as mind numbing as it had been before. Though it was no less annoying. It sounded like a thousand crickets were chirping in a great cacophony. Sitting up, I looked around my room. Seeing a cricket hanging from the window curtain, I frowned. Was that what I was hearing?

'No that's impossible,' I thought as I covered my ears. It was too loud, way too loud. My hands muffled the sound, but only just and I could feel another headache forming.

"Shut up!" I yelled, throwing a book, which was sitting on the table, at the curtain. The cricket flew away and the noise stopped.

Finally able to hear myself think, I reached up and massaged my temples. That cricket was way louder than normal. What the hell was going on?

Sighing, I scratched my arm absently and lay back down on the bed. I didn't know when I fell back asleep.

***

The next time I woke up, it felt as if my head was being split open with an axe. Through the haze, I thought I saw Sarah inject something into my IV drip. She glanced down at me and whispered, "Focus on your breathing and the sound of your heart beating. It'll drown out the other sou..." Before I could tell if it was real or not, I passed out again.

That night when I woke up, I lay on my bed, wondering if that really happened, or if I was just hallucinating. Was there a secret side effect of painkillers? I shrugged, it was worth a try.

So I focused on my breathing and listened to nothing but my heart beat. After a couple minutes, I could finally hear myself think, and my headache slowly faded.

As relief filled my chest, I faded back to sleep wondering if Sarah was really just a simple nurse.

***

I was sitting cross legged on my bed, taking slow, deep breaths. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning everything else out. Slowly I began focusing on the sounds around me. A bird whistled a shrill tune about 20 yards away from my window, a doctor spoke to a patient who had broken both wrists doing an acrobatic stunt three rooms down and a woman was crying because she found out she would not be able to bear any children due to an injury she sustained to her pelvis. I heard the pitter patter of Sarah's shoes as she walked to my room to see me before her shift ended.

Listening to my surroundings was an exercise I'd made to get accustomed to my new hearing, something that had taken me an entire week to come to terms with. A knock on the door made me look up. Sarah was leaning against the door frame, her arms folded, her left eyebrow raised and her lips quirked into a smile. "Whatcha doin' there Gandhi?" she asked walking into the room.

"Just meditating, need keep my chakras clear," I said in a low hum, doing my best impression of a sage as I opened one eye to look at her. Sarah bit down on her fist as she fought back a fit of giggles but it came out as a snort. Her eyes widened and her tanned cheeks became bright red.

"You didn't hear that!"

I closed my eye and in the same voice said, "Gandhi hears everything." I couldn't see her, but I was sure that Sarah was giving me a death glare.

***

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. My hair had grown out these past three weeks hanging just past my shoulders. A haircut was the first thing I planned to get once I was discharged.

The bathroom was fairly small, a mirror which had fogged over, on my left and a rack on my right. Taking my towel off the rack, I dried myself before wiping the mirror and inspecting my reflection. Standing at an even 6'4" I was only a bit taller than my dad. I had his high cheekbones and his firm jaw, but my small nose, full lips and soft chin were from mother. My hair was darker than my dad's, something I was told I got from my grandmother. She had died before I could meet her. My eyes were a mix of my grandfather's bright blue and my grandmother's green, a cyan that was a shade away from icy. I was glad I didn't resemble my mother much. I would hate to see her every time I looked into a mirror.

I opened the door enough for my hand to fit through, and Sarah handed me my clothes. She looked up and smiled as I stepped into the hallway. "Had a good shower?" she asked, falling into step beside me as we walked back to my room.

"Yeah it was good." I nodded breathing in small short bursts. It was the only way to keep myself from being overpowered by the scents of the hospital. That brought me to the other problem I'd encountered, my nose. Whenever I took deep breaths I was assaulted by the scent of sterilizer and sickness. Something that had only been mildly noticeable before, was now so overpowering that it made my head sway.

As we walked in silence, I glanced at Sarah, unsure of what to think. It was obvious she knew about what was going on with my body, something that baffled even the doctor. I planned to ask her what was happening to me, but I never could build the courage to start. So I kept my thoughts to myself and continued walking.

When we arrived at my room, I walked over to sit on the bed and Sarah pulled up a chair. "How do you feel?"

I studied her. "I feel fine, though my ears still ring now and then and my nose itches." It might've been my imagination, but for a second Sarah stiffened.

"Well that's understandable," she muttered, "and with luck you'll be out before the full moon."

"Before the full moon?" I asked, "What do you mean?"

Sarah looked at me, her large doe eyes brimming with tears. "Well...Stephen...the thing is you-"

"Nurse Williams!" We both flinched and looked towards the door as a deep voice filled the room. Standing at there was a bear of a man, easily 6'5" with broad, muscular shoulders and ripped arms. His face was covered by wild red hair that haloed his head like a lion's mane. He wore a lab coat over a brown tux and simple brown shoes. "You're needed in the director's office"

Sarah's eyes widened and all the blood drained from her face, "Han...D-Doctor Morgan," she quickly corrected when the severe look on the man's face hardened. "I-I just felt he needed to-"

"Director's office, nurse Williams. Now." Shaking out of my stupor, I glared at him.

"Now wait here bud-"

"No Stephen, it's fine," Sarah uttered as she rose to her feet, "It's gonna be fine." Though it felt like she was reassuring herself more than me, I could do nothing as she walked out the door. And with one last look in my direction Dr. Morgan walked away as well.

My mind reeled from all that happened. What was going on? What was Sarah about to say? The thoughts swirled in my head as I stared out the door of my room.

That was the last time I saw Sarah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter comes out on Wednesday December 21st, 2016. ^-^ Please comment and tell me your thoughts!


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a week since the incident in my room and I still hadn't gotten word from Sarah. When I tried asking Dr. Johnson about it, he'd reassured me that she had been relocated to a different branch of the hospital temporarily. And so, while I was left to my own devices for a week, I finished all the books in the 'Definitely gonna read' and 'Maybe I'll read if I'm bored enough' piles save one book: 'Werewolves: Children of the Moon' by Marianne Ellisson.

I looked down at it with apprehension, I was afraid to open this book because I didn't want my thoughts confirmed. Werewolves were fictional creatures made to scare children. And even if there were real, they would never be in a small city like Ellensburg.

Heart racing and sweat rolling down my neck, I opened the book.

***

_Lady Marianne Ellisson_

_April 1898_

_Our search took us to the vast Northwest African Savannah, deep into the low grass mainland where nothing but beasts and savages roamed. With a party of four, plus servants, we had embarked on a journey, each with their own agenda but a unified goal—to investigate the myth of the Wolf-Man_ _._

_The organizers of this exploit were William and Abigail Johnsons, newly wed christian missionaries who planned to use this oppurtunity to bring the faith to the uncivilized. They had solicited the aid of one Harry Radcliff—a hunter and tracker—who was well familiar with the terrain. Or so he claimed. Fortunately, we had also picked a local interpreter, a man named Mbaye, who seemed to know the area much better._

_For days, the procession of pack mules and donkeys moved through fields of green grass, searching for the rumoured village of wolves. And for days, we saw nothing but wild beasts and grazing herds, most animals drawing away at our approach. Henry assured us we were close, though he seemed far more concerned with showing off his guns and hunting skills._

_Just when I decided that he was indeed a hack—and we had gotten lost—we came across a village. The settlement wasn't large. Twenty crude mud huts at most. The remarkable part was that in the centre of these man-made structures was the largest tree I had ever seen. A baobab that must have stood there for ages, now venerating its settlers with a well-deserved shade._

_At first, the natives were suspicious, regarding us with hostility. That was, until Abbie unravelled the gifts she had brought. Cloths, and beads, and sweets and tools. Those fortunate enough to get a first pick left with grins, the rest inviting us with eager gestures to their village._

_Offerings, Mbaye told me, showed a great respect for the host and we would be gifted the protection of the village spirits in return. The locals viewed the world as living and every soul under the sky as sacred. They saw a spirit in every tree, a new beginning in every death, an eternity where most expected an end. Above all creatures, these people revered the golden wolves—or jackals as Mbaye insisted on calling them—naming them guides and protectors of the land._

_But when we asked about specifics, we were greeted by silence. Was there indeed a secret behind the myths?_

_At night, we were forbidden to leave the village. It was for our own sake, Mbaye told us. Nighttime was the domain of Jaaniiw, the spirits and the lost, and the Moon was their Queen. Mortals had no place in that world._

_When the full moon rose above the Savannah, the villagers would dance and sing around the central fire under the guidance of primitive instruments. Late into the night, howls would fill the air, powerful, haunting...beautiful._

_There was a beauty to this land, a serenity to its deceptive emptiness. Because that's what it was, deceptive_ —i _n every bush lay a critter, in every tree, a bird. The landscape held many secrets waiting for a watchful eye to unravel them._

_These were the lands of the savages that my father so dreaded me visiting._ _The land of wolves._

***

I gasped and almost jumped out of my skin when someone grabbed my shoulder. I glared at the culprit and he grinned.

"Yo!" Jesse waved at me, causing my glare to intensify.

"Couldn't you get my attention like a normal person?" I asked, closing the book and putting it on bedside table.

"Nope," Jesse said, popping the 'p', still smiling. Sighing, I turned and swung my legs off the bed to give him space to sit. Jesse Fuller was taller than I was, standing at 6'4.5". He made sure to rub it in every chance he got. He was blonde—he acted like one too—with black highlights in his hair, which was long enough to pull into a low ponytail. His face was angular and he had a bit of stubble above his lip. His eyes were his most striking feature, being a startling shade of green that earned him the nickname Harry Potter despite his hair. He was bubbly, always happy and energetic. He was my bestfriend—I would go as far as to call him my brother—and my roommate at CWU.

Jesse sat beside me and glanced at the book. "Whatcha reading?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Oh, just a book I got from Sarah,"

His brow furrowed. "Sarah? Sarah, Sarah...Oh! The cute nurse right?" he asked, snapping his fingers.

I rubbed my eyes and sighed. "Yes, Jesse, the cute nurse."

He nodded and hummed, probably thinking about her.

"No dirty thoughts." I glared and he quirked his lip.

"Didn't know you laid claim," he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want Jesse?"

"What? Can't I come check on my roomie?" He grinned and scratched his cheek. He always did it when he was lying, though no one bothered to tell him.

"You came to check on me yesterday." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I added, "What happened?"

"Fine, fine." He blushed and looked away. "Angelina met Taylor, so I need to lay low for like an hour."

I sighed. That was another thing about Jesse, he was a playboy and changed girlfriends at least twice a month. And sometimes he dated a few girls at a time, like now.

"I don't know what to do with you."

Jesse grinned, throwing himself back on my bed, completely carefree. "You mean you don't know what to do _without_ me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapters comes out Wednesday December 28th, 2016. ^-^ Please comment and tell me your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6

_One afternoon, William brought back the carcass of a golden jackal from his hunt. He'd seen the beautiful animal and thought the fur a perfect fit to Abbie's wheat coloured curls. The young woman was ecstatic over the gift. The locals, not so much._

_William's party was met with scorn and mutterings, the natives gathering in their path. An elderly woman made her way to the front of the crowd, pointing a single bony finger at William. 'Sacrilege,' she spoke in a low, throaty voice and Mbaye interpreted her words as best as he could. The party had offending the spirit. You could not take without giving back, she said, explaining the rituals that needed to be performed to appease them._

_I tried to relay it to William, but he refused to bow to pagan customs. So the locals refused to allow him into the village._

_Next morning we were forced to move camp._

_***_

I shot up, wide awake and shaking. My shirt clung to me and my hair was matted against my face. I gulped in air, my heart pounding in my ears. Closing my eyes, I focused on my breathing. After a few minutes, my heart rate decreased.

A low electric hum came from the walls, calming me. Nightmares haunted me every night since the attack. I remembered everything about that _dog._ Its size, its teeth...its eyes.

I sighed, swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and stood. I wouldn't be falling asleep again any time soon. I walked over to the window, pressed my forehead to the cold glass and looked out into the night. A few moments later I noticed the darkness outside fading, becoming clearer. I rubbed my eyes, what was going on? Looking around again I realised I could now see everything as if it was late afternoon, when my room had been dark before. What the hell? My pulse quickened as I examined my room. It felt as though a snake was wrapped around my chest, crushing me. I ran to the door and fumbled with the lock, my trembling hands unable to get a grip.

When I finally got it open, I rushed out, tripping on the jam and slamming into the wall. Gasping as the air left my lungs, I pushed off the wall. The world spun and I swayed. Shaking my head, I straightened and ran towards the bathroom.

By the time I reached it, I was shaking and sweating, my breath coming out in pants. The pounding of my heart drowned out everything else. I leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath. Hesitantly, I approached the mirror, leaping back when I saw my reflection. Stepping forward again, I stared at my eyes. They glowed bright yellow and the pupils contracted into pinpricks...they were _its_ eyes. I shivered, falling back against the wall. Sliding down, I wrapped my arms around myself and buried my face in my knees. That reflection in the mirror wasn't me...It was a monster.

***

_Mbaye, a village elder and I sat in front of the common house, talking about their many folk tales. One beast kept showing up in her stories. Why did they revere the jackal so much, I asked the old woman. She examined me for a long moment before replying. In the beginning, she said, Roog Sene was alone in the void. But a creator never remained so for long. Roog gazed into the emptiness and spoke, naming the three layers of the universe—earth, sky, and sea. Thus they appeared._

_The old woman grew quiet, looking out into the Savannah. For a long time, nothing but the sky and the earth and the sea existed, she continued, and the world was pristine, yet lacking. Roog Sene looked upon it and pondered, and since the creator is all knowing, Roog Sene knew what was missing._

_The world was lonely_

_So Roog made the canine, a jackal, creature of supreme intelligence that revered creation with its howl. This being would be the prophet, announcing the creator's wisdom for all time to come. Next Mbcor was made, and she became mother to all. Finally, Roog Sene could retire from the world, leaving the spirits to lead creation down the path of wisdom._

_'What about the jackal?' I asked, and my interpreter kindly relayed._

_'Ah,' the woman exclaimed. The jackal was a very smart creature, she went on, illustrating her story with exaggerated gestures that attracted the village children. But alas a very foolish one, she said. Because, you see, Roog Sene chose the jackal as the messenger, the most faithful of followers, to reveal the secrets of creation to those who listened. But the jackal, being the curious creature that he was, wasn't satisfied with the knowledge he had._

_'Great one,' the creature spoke, 'why have you made the spirits equal to you in power? Great one, why did you not give man such power? Great one, why did you make the mortals to suffer and die?'_

_Question after question, the creature inquired and Roog Sene grew more and more agitated. 'Why do you ask me this? Did I not impart on you all that I know?'_

_'But if that is all that you know,' the creature replied, 'does that mean there's a limit to your knowledge?'_

_Roog Sene grew angry with the insolence of the prophet. 'I have not made you to disrespect me,' the creator spoke, 'if you revere man so much, you will walk among them. For an eternity you will scavenge their scraps and serve their wills. The spirits will reject you and man will fear you.'_

***

I opened my eyes, and stifled a yawn. Looking around, I realised that I'd fallen asleep in the bathroom. I shifted and groaned—that explained the stiffness. Deciding it was time to get off the floor, I pulled myself up by the towel rack ** _._**

I didn't want to look in the mirror, afraid to see those eyes again, but I had to check. Taking a deep breath, I turned and sighed in relief when my usual cyan eyes greeted me. I frowned. Were the yellow eyes a hallucination? Or was I experiencing another change?

I stepped out of the bathroom, humming a low tune. Sunlight streamed into the hallway, illuminating the blue tiles. If I had to guess, I'd say it was around 7 am.

In my room, I sat on my bed and pondered over what was happening to me. Why was I changing? When would it stop? I looked at the book that lay open on the table, contemplating whether I really wanted to finish it.

Taking a deep breath, I reached for it...

***

_Late one night we heard a scream. The sound had us rush out of our tents, grabbing the nearest weapon. Henry had his rifle so he was the first to run into the shrub because that scream had sounded human. William followed as soon as he retrieved his own gun, a revolver, and the quicker of the servants had gathered at the edge of camp._

_Mbaye stopped me when I tried to follow them. 'We must not go into the night,' he said. I wanted to argue, but by the time I looked back, they had gone._

_The minutes dragged with agonizing slowness as I watched the remaining servants kindle a fire. Abbie approached with her bible, sitting on the bench beside me. Quietly, she whispered prayers over the silence only to jerk straight when another scream broke through the night, followed by several gunshots._

_It wasn't long before the party came rushing back._

_Abbie stood to meet her husband, gasping when she saw the blood on his clothes._

_He didn't say anything, his eyes straying to me. A moment later, the servants brought in the victim._

_Henry._

_Abbie must have screamed because I registered the shrill of her voice at the edge of my awareness. Wisely, William wrapped his arms around his young wife to calm her. I intercepted the party and evaluated the damage with a quick glance. Henry's white shirt was torn, the cloth now saturated with red. A similar gash stained his leg. The wounds were too torn to be made by a knife. Teeth and claws was my best guess, from a big, strong animal._

_He was breathing but he was losing too much blood. Most would have written him off, I could almost hear my father whispering to me about the futility of his condition, but I wouldn't give up yet. Henry was a strong, young man with no sign of chronic disease. He had a chance._

_I ordered the servants to bring him into my tent, Abbie I told to get water, William to stand guard, and Miles—the head of the servants—to light enough lanterns so I could work. Just then, I fetched my bag, preparing for my task._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter comes out Wednesday January 4th, 2017. ^-^ Please comment and tell me your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7

I had done the best I could, but Henry’s wounds had been severe. No major blood vessels were damaged, but the tears had required heavy stitching. When I woke up the afternoon after a long night of medical work, I found him still breathing. Somewhat surprising, but not unwelcome.

The problem was that he was burning up, and I feared an infection had taken him. But when I inspected the wounds, I found them clear. In fact, they were better than they should have been after just half a day of healing.

Less than one more day later, he was well enough to awaken and a week after that he was standing and walking around on his own. Even if it was for brief moments, the recovery was startling.

***

I was finally out of the hospital, finally free. I took a deep breath of fresh air only to gag and cough furiously. For a moment I’d forgotten about my enhanced senses and it bit me in the ass. Choking on the fumes of the passing cars, I covered my nose. That was unpleasant. So as to not be blindsided again, I used the exercises I’d practiced in the hospital. The roar of an engine drew my gave to my left as a black and red Bugatti Chiron pulled in front of the hospital. Everyone stared as I walked toward it but I ignored them, it always happened. Jesse rolled down the tinted window and winked at a girl who had come to inspect the car, causing her to blush. I rolled my eyes as I slipped into the passenger side.

“The staring is getting annoying, let’s go”

Jesse glanced at me before shaking his head, chuckling. “Sure boss.” He gave the girl his number and with a quick ‘Call me’, drove away.

We were headed to Leavenworth, our hometown, since school was out. Jesse sped down the highway, going more than double the speed limit. I couldn’t tell him off for it though, since I did the same.

At the speed we were going it would take about half an hour to get there. Jesse put on some music and gave me a wonderful musical rendition. I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but thank god I did.

***

I woke up with a yawn as someone shook my shoulder.

“Steph we’re here,” Jesse said, still shaking me.

“I’m up,” I said, glaring when he shook me again before letting go.

Jesse grinned. “I was just making sure.”

Deciding it was better for my sanity to if I just let it go, I opened the door and stepped out the car. Jesse had parked the car in the courtyard of our house, well my dad’s to be specific. It was typical mansion, 7,500 sq ft and sitting on 250 acres of land. It was where Jesse and I grew up.

Jesse walked around the front of his car and came to stand beside me. When I said Jesse was a brother to me, I meant it in more ways than one. My dad had taken him in when we were 7, as a favor for Jesse’s mother. And since then we had been brothers in all but blood.

“Whatcha thinking ‘bout?” He asked, staring at me. I shrugged and strolled up to the house.

“Wondering how many people I murdered in my past life to be stuck with you,”

“Ouch, that hurt Steph.” He put his hand to his chest and said, “right here.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wrong side Jess,” I said, covering my amusement artfully.

We walked up into the house and I examined the foyer. It had only been four months since I’d last seen it, but I had missed this sight dearly.

“Is dad home?” I asked as we headed to the living room. Jesse threw himself onto a couch.

“He said he’ll be late today, he’s hosting an auction for the Veneno he bought two months ago.”

I snorted, sitting on the arm of the couch. My dad had a thing for rare, highly priced cars. He’d buy them and drive them for a month or two. And if they weren’t what he wanted, he’d auction them off, usually for more than he spent on it.

Jesse shot up in the chair, eyes wide. “Oh yeah!”

“What?”

“Guess who I saw today?”

I stared at him, curious. “Who?”

“Annabelle…”

***

One evening, about a month after the attack, William returned with a catch of hartebeest, and a story of the great chase through the bush where he had stolen the prey from under the paws of a prowling lioness. The beast had circled the fallen animal, refusing to let the hunters close, so he had spooked it with a single shot of his shotgun. He went into great detail of his mastery and cleverness, and Abbie listened, her hands clasped and eyes sparkling. I kept my head bowed over my notes, keeping my lips silent, lest I betrayed how much I trusted his tales.

But whereas Henry would usually join them for tea, that evening he couldn’t stay still. He would sit down on his chair, which was set further from the fireplace than usual, fidget and readjust his legs before shooting straight to walk from one side of the camp to the other.

When William tried to draw his attention by pointing out the size of the animal, instead of bringing up the male oryx he had caught a few days earlier, Henry simply stared at the man. The conversation then tuned to other subjects and Henry sat back down with a cup of uneaten soup cradled in his hands.

The couple retreated to their tent after dinner, leaving us to the dying fire. With the full moon hanging bright over the steppes, the light was enough to keep the night beasts away from camp. Yet still, I had my shotgun close in case one of the golden jackals, so prominent to the area, decided to investigate William’s latest catch.

Henry began pacing, growing increasingly agitated as the night grew darker. I tried to reprimand him—I had work and little daylight left to burn—but it did little to ease him for more than few minutes.

When I looked up, intent on ordering him to his tent, he was staring into the planes, his pale skin flushed and eyes glinting in the firelight. A thin sheen of precipitation covered his face and he rhythmically scratched at the sleeve that hid his bandages. Worried that he might have gotten an infection, I offered to take a look, but he didn’t respond. Setting my notes on the folding table next to me, I stood and took a few tentative steps toward him. He jerked his head in my direction when I called his name again, a blank expression on his face.

Calmly, I repeated my offer and some lucidity returned to his eyes. He insisted he was fine, yet he now scratched at his chest too. Having had enough of a man’s stubbornness, I marched towards my tent to retrieve my medic bag.

Henry clawed at his shirt, pacing even faster when I returned. He froze, glassy eyes staring into me. Before I had the chance to order him out of his shirt, he tore it off, tossing it aside. Wordlessly, he took a few quick strides across the sitting area and bolted into the Savannah. The darkness swallowed him, his steps a distant rustle in the dry grass.

I called his name and got no response, my yells waking the Johnsons and the servants. William—still in his nightgown—scanned the camp, rifle in hands. Seeing no beasts, he frowned, imploring the reason for my hysteria. After I informed him of the situation, we called for Miles and he swiftly formulated a search party.

Several villagers had run over to explore the noise, but the natives refused to issue us a guide. Nighttime belonged to the Pangol and humans had no place in it.

Two parties launched in search for Henry, one led by Miles and another by William, the servants partitioned between them. Abbie and I were left behind to deal with the restless natives. A few outraged youngsters pointed at the Savannah, shaking their heads and uttering in their language. We were offending the spirits, I made out with my meagre grasp of their tongue. Mbaye appeared briefly, helping me to communicate with them.

Miles returned at sunrise, William about an hour later. They had not found Henry, and Abbie fetched her bible, retreating to the brightest corner of camp to pray for his lost soul.

But she had written him off too fast because Henry returned several hours later. He was disoriented, his bandages torn and dirty as if he had rolled through the dirt through the night. I reminded him what had happened as I inspected his wounds. No infection. In fact, they had fully healed. I sent the spooked man to his tent before returning to my notes.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter comes out Wednesday January 11th, 2017. ^-^ Please comment and tell me your thoughts!


	8. Chapter 8

  
Henry stopped going on hunts with William, opting instead for solitary roaming despite our objections. He rarely returned with prey from his journeys, and knowing him that was troubling. He had been quiet too, only occasionally responding to William’s banter. The man couldn’t quite believe Henry’s quick recovery, Abbie attributed it to a guardian angel.

As far as I was concerned, angels didn’t exit. But I couldn’t deny that his recovery was close to miraculous. Was there truth to the natives’ tales? Were there spirits guarding these lands? If so, I wished they would help him through his shock, because Henry refused to speak of the incident or admit what troubled him so.

One night I had gotten carried away in my work, but it wasn’t yet midnight when I heard shuffling outside.  As usual, I grabbed my rifle and went to check if some beast had wondered in. No beast, just Henry, pacing by the embers of the long dead fire. Absorbed in his thoughts, he didn’t notice me, and before I could hail him, he started for the bush.

Not this time.

He bounded into the Savannah and I followed, the slow crawl soon turning into a jog and then a sprint, Henry still beyond my reach.

We went further and further away from camp and just when I thought I had lost him, a cry split the silence. I ran even faster despite my lungs seizing from the lack of oxygen. The bush gave way to an open field, the bright moonlight illuminating Henry’s crumpled form. I raised my gun, and scanned the area, but saw no attacker or a beast.

Henry cried out again and I rushed towards him just to recoil at the sight. Either the light was playing tricks on me, or something about him wasn’t right. He growled through teeth for me to get away before fangs poked out of his mouth, his face elongating into a snout. I stepped back, my heart pounding in my ears. What was happening?

He writhed on the ground, the sickening sound of snapping and crunching permeating the air as his body shifted. I kept my rifle ready. The spirits had indeed taken him, but which spirits? Carefully, I took another step back, and I must have blinked because a wolf emerged in front of me. Large, twice the size of normal beasts, its glowing eyes fixed on me and its teeth bared. A low growl came from the creature, and its muscles shifted and flexed as it moved.

It was preparing to attack.

I aimed.

But it was Henry.

The creature snarled.

That beast was Henry.

It lunged and I sidestepped, slamming the butt of my gun into its jaw to throw it off course. It yelped as its own momentum drove it into the ground, stunning it for a moment. I didn’t have to shoot him to protect myself.

Slowly, I retreated,  putting distance between me and the creature.

The wolf rose and shook its head, two yellow eyes turning to me. A brief growl and then another blink. Recognition? The wolf prowled in my direction again.

I called his name, pleading for Henry to come to his senses because if bad came to worse, I would shoot him.

The wolf stopped, regarding me. I kept my aim steady, my gaze locked on his. A moment passed. The wolf let out a low whine and bolted into the bush, away from me. I waited a beat before running the opposite direction and back to camp.

It wasn’t until I returned to my tent that the shaking began. I dropped my gun by the cot and curled into my bed, spending a long, agonizing night in trying to digest what had happened.

***

I lay on my bed and stared out the open window at the midnight stars. A cold breeze swept my hair, but I hardly felt it. All I could think about was the book. A wolf twice as large as usual?

I thought back to the  dog  that attacked me. It was becoming harder and harder to deny it. A normal dog’s bite wouldn’t enhance my senses to the point that I could hear Jesse snoring three rooms over, or smell my dad making a late night snack in the kitchen that was a floor beneath me. Or see as well as I could during the day, at one in the morning.

I sat up with a sigh, wishing I knew what was happening to me. Werewolves: Children of the moon, was great, but for all I knew, it could be a fiction. I stood and walked to the window. What was going on? Was I going to be all right? Would I to turn into a monster like Henry did?

I ran a hand through my hair, tousling my already messy locks. I didn’t want to think about this, but I had to, I was changing whether I liked it or not. Shaking my head, I headed out the door. It was best to not worry about it for now.

My dad had given the Eastern Wing to Jesse and me, and kept the Western for himself. He would take his close business partners there, while our part of the house was more for recreation with a game room, an indoor swimming pool, and a gym.

I walked into the gym, not needing to turn on the light. The equipment was pristine even though we used it daily. I chuckled. Our maids were the best you could find. As I headed over to the bench press, my mind flashed back to the other changes I’d discovered. A few days ago, I was bench pressing 150 lbs, completely lost in my thoughts, and without realising it, I had been pumping for half an hour. At first I took it as a burst of adrenaline, but it had been much too consistent to be adrenaline, much too powerful.

I set 250 lbs on either end of the barbell, and lay down on the bench. Taking a deep breath, I counted to ten and started pumping. As a middleweight it should have been impossible for me to bench press so much. Heck most NFL linemen could only do 39 repetitions at 225 lbs. I snorted. Thanks for all the useless information dad.

As I reached my 50th repetition, I finally started to feel a slight burning in my arms and by the 80th I was drenched in sweat. I put the barbell back in place with a heave, took a few seconds to catch my breath and then started again.

This was all I could do to silence the thoughts.

***

I sat on my bed and stared out the window, scratching my shoulder. It wouldn’t stop itching! My back and shoulder had been itching for an entire week. It started with tingles running along the thin scars along my shoulder, getting progressively worse to the point where I couldn’t sit still for more than a few moment

.

This was ruining ‘Full Moon Day’ for me. Every month, , I would stay up all night just to watch the full moon. It was so peaceful and so beautiful, and it controlled so much from so far away. And I had missed it last month because I was attacked. My eyes widened. I was attacked…on the full moon?

My gaze was pulled upward as light filtered down from above. Sweat dripped down my neck as the clouds separated and the moon bathed my room in its light. I gripped my chest when my heart lurched and for a second I couldn’t breathe. The itching worsened and my shirt felt way too tight, too constricting. I felt two sharp pinpricks on my lower lip, and rubbing my tongue over them revealed that my canines had elongated. I tested one and pulled back immediately, my finger bleeding. My heart gave another lurch and I bit back a scream. Was I becoming a werewolf? Was I going to transform?

“Steph you there?” Jesse’s voice came through the door.

“What do you want Jesse?” My tone was harsh and I immediately felt sorry.

“Woah man, you okay?” I could hear the worry in his voice but the pain coursing through my body made it hard to think.

“I’m fine, what do you want?”

“Tom and I are about to play COD, you wanna join in?”

I bit my lip, drawing blood, Jesse and my dad were in the house, I couldn’t change here, I couldn’t risk their safety. “I-I’m not feeling too well right now.” God I hated that stutter.

“Oh, well alright, we’ll play later then.”

I climbed to the sill of my open window and jumped to the garage roof, which was only a couple feet below my window, and then from the garage roof to a particularly thick bush that helped to cushion my fall. I winced at the sight of the broken branches. Hopefully the gardeners wouldn’t be too mad. Sprinting around the house, I headed for the forest at the edge of our property. I knew these woods well, they had been a place of adventure for Jesse and I when we were younger. Now it would give me a place to change without the risk of harming my family.

I had just passed the tree line when a jolt of pain sent me to my knees. Snaps and pops filled the air, loud even over the thumping of my heart. My face stretched, blood filling my mouth as my teeth fell out, replaced by bigger, sharper, stronger ones. Then there was just pain, pain, and more pain.

I screamed to the heavens, a howl filled with my agony.

A/N: I know i'm late guys...again. I hope you don't mind and that you enjoy the chapter. Next update will be Wednesday 7th December, 2016. Please and tell me your thoughts, also...vote! ^-^

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, but i'm gonna be on a short hiatus as I get some stuff together. Hopefully I'll be able to get it all together soon. Until then

**Author's Note:**

> The first two chapters are a little rough, but there should be notable improvement from chapter three forward. Please Comment and tell me what you thought


End file.
